steve_69

"Gaffer, we're better suited to 5 at the back with Fabian bringing the ball out and linking up with the midfield. Get Maxi in the number 10 role occupying their CBs and pace on both wings to make use of the space in behind" "Nah bollocks! Lads, it's 4-4-2, Clarkey starts. Run around a lot, plenty of talking and get your shots off. Alain, right wing"

I like him, seems genuine and measured. Bit concerned that he said his role has been to advise Bruce tactically because this season we've been tactically shit.

He never once talks about the managerial ability of Steve Bruce, just the man. That's all Bruce is, a jovial man-manager who befriends the players and makes sure they're happy. And there's a place for that - it's called the 90s. I've got nothing against ASM for saying he liked Bruce, he got an easy ride and a free role under a tactically inept 'nice guy'. I just hope he stays as committed, effective and positive under the next manager.

The playing squad isn't anywhere near as bad as people are making out. We finished 12th last season. Half of the players have just been Bruce'd and any manager worth anything will know they can turn this around with a bit of decent coaching. Anyone who thinks they can't should be resigned to the same bin as Bruce.

If chesting the ball down to pass it to their players is what you're basing it on, he was world class

To be fair, i'd do the same if I was him - hang on for an £8m pay out. He'd be a fool not to. But do it with a bit of humility FFS! It's clear you're shit - we know it, the media know it, you know it and the players know it, so stop whinging like you're getting a rough ride. Considering how fucking inept you are, i'd say you're getting off pretty easy right now. Mike Ashley has once again shown what a shrewd businessman he is by given this chump a contract with an £8m pay out clause. The mind boggles!

Nah, it's a hard pass from me. Cheers though.

I seriously doubt that. Most managers know better than to base their judgements of a team on a few performances. They'll look at the squad and see ASM, Willlock, Almiron, Wilson, Dubs, Schar, Lascelles etc. and think there's more than enough there to be a mid-table side. I think they're just being very measured in their approaches and they want a DOF in place before they make a decision - that's likely to be what's taking the time.

I know it's semantics, but for me a decent guy and a good man are very different things. Rafa - decent guy and a good man, Keegan the same and Sir Bobby - decent guy and a wonderful man. I don't think Bruce has the emotional depth or intelligence to be a good man in the same way those mentioned are. I think he's thick and has the emotional depth of a potato and that's why he contradicts himself, ham-fistedly deflects attention without considering the comeback and consequences etc. But the picture of Bruce as a calculating manipulator trying to pull the wool over people's eyes i just don't buy. He's more likely a good-to-have-a-beer-with decent guy that ties himself in knots because he's thick. The way he manages a football team and conducts himself in front of a camera might not be a true reflection of the person he is, but they're hard things to separate when we're so invested in the fortunes of the club he manages.

5 wins in 37 games. That's a decision that takes seconds. Hurry the fuck up!!!

Strange that the manager of the football club isn't showing them round the facilities and introducing the owner to the players.

I'm a fan of giving the Sean Longstaff who played under Rafa a contract. Bruce's version is stinking the place up, but i think that's more to do with the manager than the player

I don't think we should give up on Lewis yet at LB. He's been managed by an absolute muppet ever since we signed him and there's clearly a good player in there. I'd like to see what he can do under an actual football manager

Shameful! And he has the nerve to talk about how badly treated he is.

That average must be propped up by early career figures, before managers became more tactically aware. There's no way he's anywhere near 37.6% here

Ramsey is inevitably doing the rounds as well.

I think the team could manage themselves to more points that Bruce ball will accrue, so the absolute priority has to be to get shot. Jones can take the reigns for a few weeks until we get a new man in. How can it possibly get any worse by just sacking Bruce? What is it, 5 wins in 37 games?

Fair enough, let's leave it there and just enjoy the day pal. As for Zidane, i'm not convinced

I absolutely get where you're coming from, but Potter has built upon what he did in Sweden and IMO has shown it wasn't a fluke due to working in a poor league. OGS got the job because of what he did in Norway and his ties with Man Utd and has basically shown that what he did in Norway was probably due to it being a poor league. I'm not saying don't look at OGS & Potter's comparable track records in Scandinavian leagues, i'm saying look at what both of them have done since.

He's nowhere near the 'great' category but I think he has the potential to get there. OGS inherited an already very good squad and has since added to it, spending a lot of money in the process. And yet his United team look like a disorganised shambles half the time. I don't think the two managers can be put in the same category. Potter has galvanised a poor squad into a unit that are better than the sum of their parts - a clear sign of a good coach/manager (see Rafa Benitez). Every player seems to know what they're doing and what's expected of them and they all look highly motivated. As a next manager to pull this squad together and get us moving in the right direction, I think we could do a lot worse.

Taking a team up into the top division for the first time in their history, after 3 back-to-back promotions, then winning the domestic cup and finishing 2nd in their group in the UEFA Cup (or whatever it was called then) is mighty impressive. Doesn't matter if it's the Swedish league, that's just class! Now look at what he's done at Brighton on a shoestring budget, playing brilliant football. Give credit where it's due

Rumbled!

I'd genuinely given up hope that this day would ever come. I was in my twenties when that bastard took over and i'm now 43. It's been 14 years of almost relentless bad news and finally it looks like the sun might start shining on SJP again. Feels amazing!

Potter is clearly destined for bigger things than Brighton - he's probably the best English manager around atm. Just take a look at his record with Ostersund. He's not an underwhelming suggestion at all

Bonfire night isn't too far away. Sell tickets to a ritual burning of all SD signage and give the proceeds to the food bank.